Improvement in gas-generators



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.ELLIS Dorr, or' JANHsVILI-.u' WISCONSIN, AssIcN-on rca onu-HALF HIS RIGHT ro 'IT-Hon Juno.

Letters Patent No. 102,784, dated Mm, 10 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-GENERATORS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 'ofv the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELLIS Do'lY, of Janesville, in the county of `Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement; in Gas-Geuemtors; and I do hereby declare the' following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus.

Figure 2'is a vertical longitudinal sectional. eleva.

tion of the same. A

Figure 3 is a. vertical transverse section through the Third, in taking the supply from or below the level of the oor.

Fourth, in the arrangement of pipe and cock toreplenish the. water in the meter-case, and withdraw any surplus water, or the oil collected upon the surface of the same.

Fifth, in the manner of constructing a scat for the cone-valve.

Sixth, in the manner of mounting the generator' upon its supporting-framc, so that it maybe partially rotated upon its axis.

I am aware that gas-generators have been constructed having an automaticfeed-apparatus to supply fresh oil as fastas required.

-I am also aware that a current of air has been produced by the revolution of a meter-wheel partially submerged in water, but 11am not aware that the arrangements of devices referred to above, and here.

ignafter claimed, have been employed' in gas-genera- OIS.'

That others may understand the construction, operation,'and purposes of my invention, I will particularly describe it. g A

The generator is a metallic cylinder, supported iu a suitable fra-me composed of the legs B and brackets C, which latter fit the cylindrical surface of thc generator A, and rcccivc and support its weight.

The legs B are bound together bythe brace and tie-rods D D.

.'Upon the top-or upper surface ofthe cylinder A,

the gas-holder E and the reservoir and feeding-ap paratus case F are located. y

Within the cylinder A there is a *meter .orfanwheel, G, by means of which a current of air is lforced to move through the apparatus, and secure the generation of gas as' rapidly as may be desired.

A supplemental frame, H, supports a. shaft, I, upon which is wound the cord J, and,v by means .ofthe weight K, or its equivalent motor, the driving-pulley L is actuated, and frour thence, by means of a' belt, M, motion is transmitted to the meter-wheel shaft N, and to the other operative machinery of the apparatus.

By means of the ratchet and pawl O P, and the balanced crank Q, the weight K may be woundn'p at any time, and the motive power renewed. l v

Having now indicated the general arrangement and construction of my apparatus, I will particularly describe the various details as I have preferred to com struct and arrange them.

Themeter-wheel shaft N has its bearings in boxes, It S, attached to, and protruding from, the ends ot' the cylinder A.

These boxes pass vthrough orifices iu the frame-legs B for Athe purpose of securing steadiness in the apparatus, but it is not intended that any considerable portion of the weight of the apparatus shall be supported by the bearing of said boxes R S in the legs B B. i

One of the boxes R is capped atits eud,sotl1at the end of the shaft does not protrude.

At the opposite end of the shaft N there is a puiley, T, upon which the belt M runs to drive the mevder A are the bridge-wires or rods V V, located a little distance from the inner surface of said cylinder. These wires'are four or five in number, and are not disposed around the lower part of the cylinder, as they are only required to support the cloth or felt sheet W, which constitutes evaporation-surface.

The air-pipe Y project-s downward through the bottom of the cylinder A, and has its lower end near or below the surface of the floor upon 'which the 'apparatus stands, and its upper end in close proximity to the induction end of the meter-wheel G, and within a chamber formed hy the false cylinder-head H', as shown in fig. 2.V i l It is not necessarily arranged iu the precise manner shown in the drawing, iig. 2.

When the meter-wheel is set in motion, atmospheric air is drawn through the pipe Y, and caused to pass through the meter-wheel G.

Motion is thus imparted to it, and it is impelled, after leaving the meter-wheel, to flow back along the walls of the cylinder', and in contact with the evaporat-ing'surface of the clot-h W', and finally into the gas-holder,wherc it is secured and retained for consumption.

The air-pipe extends downward to a point close to or below the floor for this purpose.

Oarbureted air is heavier than pure atmospheric air, and, therefore, when it escapes from a' gas-holder or generator, it falls to the floor and settles in the lowest portions of the same, -gradually filling the apartment, until itllinds an outletthrough which it may flow to still lower levels. Hence, many accidents have'occnrred when a lighted candle or lamp has been placed upon the floor at a considerable distance. from a vessel containing hydrocarbon oils.

hen the air-pipe Y is brought close to the door, it is apparent that, if there is any free carbnreted air thereon, it will be drawn up into the machine, and thus all dangerous accumulation of such vapor in the apartment will be impossible.

Ihen in use` ,the cylinder- A is partially filled with water, say to, or a little above, theline x x. This insures the desired action of the meter-wheel iu producing a 'current of atmospheric air, as above-descrihed, and it also prevents any accumulationof'can hon oil or refuse of' any kind at the bottom of the generator.

A draw-oil' cock, a, is provided, to discharge the contents of the cylinder A, and a surface-cock, l), is provided to discharge any accumulation of oil which may have collected upon the surface of the water.

The whole apparatus mayvbe partially rotated upon its bearings, to bring the c ock b to thesurface of the water, when the same happens to be slightly above or below said cock b.

A gauge, c, indicates to the eye the water-lever wit-hin the generator, and the feed-pipe d, which descends below the water-surface enables the attendant to replenish thc water-supply at any time when it may be necessary.

The reservoir c, for the carbon oil which nia-y he employed, is located within the. case F, above the cylinder A.

The reservoir c is provided with a glass gauge, f, by means of which the quantity of oil wit-hin the reservoir may be ascertained, and at its top there is an orifice, g, through which it may he replenished at any time.

i At the bottom of said reservoir is a. depression,`7t, into which dips the periphery of the feed-wheel e', which ismounted upon a horizontal shaft j, and driven from the shaft N by means of' the cone-pulleys l: I', and the belt on.

lhe feed may thus be regulated by increasing or diminishing the speed of the wheel t'. Y

A number of pockets, n n, are made in the edge of the wheel 1'-, to take up, at each revolution, definite quantities of the carbon oil, and the edge' of lsaid wheel is also grooved, as shown, 15o-facilitate the discharge of the contents of said pockets, iu the manner following.

As the pocket reaches the highest point in the retvolution of the wheel t', its contents begin to run out in the direction of the wheels motion. The edge ways:

of said wheel being grooved, the liquid follows said groove, andis caught upon the edge of the scraper p, the end of which is made to fit in the before-mentioned groove.

:By the scraper p, the carbon liquid is conducted to the charnher'q, and from thence it flows along the piper to the cup s, and from thence it flows into the generator and upon the surface of the cloth lV, over which it distributes itself'.

By the means above described, it will he readily perceived that the quantities of gasoline or other carbon oils to be introduced into the generator may he regulated and adj usted as desired, and the quantity introduced may be regulated so as to` exactly bali ance the quantity volatilized and absorbed by the air at each revolution of' the meter-wheel.

It will also bc perceived that no gas can escape from the generator intoor through the reservoir, hecause the chamber t between the reservoir and the generator is made gas-tight, and the mouth of the feed-pipe r dips below the constant surface of the carbon oil in the cup s, said surface being constantly at the level of theupper Ymouth of the short tube u.

The gas-holder E does not differ in principle from Vthe vordinary gas-holders.

It consists of a tank to receive and ,hold water, and gauge-pipe, r, to regulate the heightof the. incloscd water.

Rising from the generator, and opening above the level of the water, is a stand-pipe, fw, through which gas flows from the generator to the interior of the bell a, which may he weighted as required.

An outlet-pipe, A', takes the gas from the interior of the bell at the level of the upper end of the standpipe, and, bending downward, leaves the holder at its lower portion, as shown in iig. l.

At its lowest pointa small pipe, B', is inserted to convey to the interior of the generator either water or the product of condensation which may accumulate in the gas-pipe.

A valve, C', is attached in such a way that't-he month of the stand-pipe w will be closed when the holder has been iilledwith gas to its utmost capacity, and said valve I find it convenient to arrange as follows: r

The valve is made in the form of a cone, suspended by a wire or cord from the dome of the bell a'.

The apex of the valve is upward, and it hangs within the stand-pipe zu, so that, as the bell :t ascends, the valve will ascend also, and, a suitable seat heilig placed at the mouth of the standpipe,'thc same will he closed when the bell is filled with gas. i

A good and efficient seat may he constructed with a sheet of India rubber, D', having a circular perforation, and confined between two plates of metal, as shown in Iig. 2.

Having described my invention,

lVha-t I claim as new is- 1. The feed-wheel 1', provided with the buckets yn n and scraper 11, in connection with the chamber q, pipe r, cup s, and pipe u, arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a gas-generator, the evaporation-cloth lV, supported upon rods V, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l'

3. In combination with a gas-generator, the airsupply pipe Y, arranged to take air from the floor or below, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination in a gas-generator, wherein is eniployed hydrocarbon oil and atmospheric air, a single case, A, Jartially filled with water, a meter-wheel, G, partially submerged in the same, an evaporat-ing-sur- -i'ace permanently located above the meter-wheel and water, and au automatic feeding device, all arranged substantially as set forth.

5. In a gas-generatorto be partially filled with wa ter, as setl'ortli, :L feed-pipe, d, protruding below the S. The arrangement of the gas-generating cyliusurface of the same, for the purpose specitied. der A, and the supporting-frame B, provided with 6. In ngns-generntor partially filled with water, and lugs C, or their equivalents, so that said cylinder may proif'ifled'ivith an evaporator-cloth, W, as described, be partially rotated upon its axis, :is and for the pura snrfnce-cock, b, for the purpose specified. pose set forth.

7. In combination with the-l1older x, stand-pipe ELLIS 'DOTX".v w, and Yalve GK', a, valve-sent, D', constructed with Witnesses; a sheet of rubber confined between metallic plates, JOHN A. SILENCE,

D. I. POWERS.

as set forth. 

